After Jacob deGrom's latest gem on Saturday night against San Francisco, it begs the question for Mets fans: Which of the team's starting pitchers would you deem the most "untouchable" should it come to a trade.

Chances are, if the Mets are going to improve their offense in the offseason -- something they desperately need to do -- they will have to part with at least one of the prized pitchers, since the free-agent pool isn't very deep (and we know how tight the Wilpons have been with a buck the last few years).

You can make a case for each hurler being the most important:

Matt Harvey (who will be 26 years old on Opening Day 2015) was the bona fide ace in his first full year in 2013, starting the All-Star Game and creating a buzz not felt with the team since Dwight Gooden's peak. But after sitting out the end of 2013 and all of 2014 after Tommy John surgery, will he be the same pitcher?

Zack Wheeler (24), acquired from the Giants in a trade for Carlos Beltran a few years back, showed promise in 2013. This season, Wheeler -- a powerful 6-foot-4 right-hander, like Harvey -- has continued to make progress; his current 6-8 record is more due to a lack of run support than anything else.

Jacob deGrom (26) has been a revelation this season, going 6-1 with a 1.52 ERA over his last eight starts. Like Harvey and Wheeler, he's 6-4; unlike those two, this righty's success is primarily due to his ability to mix up and locate his pitches (although he does have a fastball in the 94-95 mph range).

Jon Niese (28) is the lone left-hander among the candidates, making him valuable simply for that. The seven-year veteran has quality stuff, but he's missed some time with injuries the last two seasons.

Dillon Gee (28) has also been sidelined with an injury this season, sabotaging a strong start. Much like former Mets pitcher Rick Reed, Gee uses guile and location more than raw power to get his outs.

Noah Sydergaard (22) was acquired from Toronto as part of the R.A. Dickey trade before the 2013 season and has set the Mets' minor-league system ablaze ever since. The 6-6 righty started for the U.S. in the Futures Game last year (opposite fellow Mets farmhand Jesus Montero). While his numbers aren't as impressive this season, chalk that up to pitching in the thin air of Las Vegas.